and open the cockpit, but don't get out yet.
I take the other Hiltorel belt out of my backpack, put it on and turn on the gravity part, hoping that walking in 0.5g will make my leg hurt less to stand on.
Then I carefully get out of my casket, and hobble towards Gearhead and Caleb.
If Gearhead needs any help patching up Caleb that I can provide, I help him, then I ask
"Hey Gearhead, could you have a look at my leg as well?"
If he does, wait while he works, and thank him afterward.
Then I go check out what's going on inside the nacelle.

If attacked at any point, I get in the nearest cover and stasis enemies (up to 4 attacks, stop when 2 in stasis)

Last edited by Dinosawer on Tue Jun 12, 2018 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"What the... What about my amazin' victory!? Didn't y'all see what I just did? Frank just got a lucky shot, he probably dun even properly killed that squid, I'm the one that scared the crap outta them and got 'em to run away!"

*Sigh* "He was sarcastic, Buck. As you've been infinitely more useful than me today...I am trying to be useful here, but sorry for not being a good shot, or military, or something else!"

I only want to get away from here, not that I'd have a better chance elsewhere...

"Brom, I tagged on of them with a tranquilizer before they managed to get away, and from this position I can see neither them or any other threat right now. After making sure that Vynkor won't bleed out yet, I can try to carry her. No need to have her lie around where someone may stumble over her."

"Oh excellent work, Frank. Bravo. Very well done. I was worried they'd give us a hard time after we splattered them with the gravgun, but now that you've knocked one of them out, I like our chances. The other splattered squid shouldn't be too much of a problem.
I'm sure you'll receive further congratulations from the commanding officers on the Nemesis for our retrieval of a half-dead and unconscious squid.

We'll have time to properly celebrate your amazing victory later of course.

"What the... What about my amazin' victory!? Didn't y'all see what I just did? Frank just got a lucky shot, he probably dun even properly killed that squid, I'm the one that scared the crap outta them and got 'em to run away!"

"As much as I'd like to point out that you left them alive and they're probably setting traps or calling reinforcements, you did clear the way for the continuation and completion of the mission. I suppose that's worth celebration when we get back to the Nemisis. I'll see if I can't find you some booze when we return."

"Why didn't you say so sooner, Frank?!
Everyone back to the ships! We'll squash every enemy in the vicinity and then go back to completing our mission!
I want everyone to grab a harness as we move through. Don't lose it.
After we obliterate whatever moron is messing with out ships, I will lead the final charge into the plant.
Keep an eye out for everything -be it hostile or otherwise- that may be of some interest to us.
Gene, I recommend you grab Vynka's Lasgun. I'll switch out your pistol for my own. The shot capacity is about to come in handy."
Drag Vynka into cover (or don't, if she's already safe), and switch pistols with her.
With my shield and semi-auto pistol up, I will run to the right airshield while visibly scanning the area along the way to see if anything's amiss.
Once I reach the airshield, I will keep myself shielded an peek out to determine if our ships are indeed in danger.

((To be used only if there are hostiles))
If there are hostiles surrounding our ships, I will alert my squad.
"Everyone open fire! Don't give them a moment to think! I want them all dead!"a
After shouting, I will target the most visible threat and shoot them no more than twice.
If there are any remaining, I will target the next most visible and fire once.
After firing my 2-3 shots, I'll reload, grab Vynka's harness and a some (1-3) of the nearby drakedog teeth.
Double back to the rear of the facility. while visibly and audibly scanning the area for possible threats and articles of interest.
If I'm attacked, I will get into cover and fire once at whatever it is that threatens me.

((To be used if there aren't any enemies at our ships))
If there aren't any enemies, I will call out to my squadmates.
"The coast is clear! Everyone grab their harnesses and let's go!"
Grab Vykna's harness and a few (1-3) of the closest drakedog teeth.
After this, I will double back to the rear of the facility. while visibly and audibly scanning the area for possible threats and articles of interest.
If I'm attacked, I will get into cover and fire once at whatever it is that threatens me.

Gene, I recommend you grab Vynka's Lasgun. I'll switch out your pistol for my own. The shot capacity is about to come in handy."

"Will do, Brom. Let's hope I don't fry myself with that fancy lasgun of hers."
Walk over to Vynkor and ask for her lasgun. Once she hands it over, make sure it is ready for firing.
If Brom alerts the squad about hostiles, engage hostile of highest visibility that has not yet been engaged by a squadmate.
If there are none, advance tightly behind him.
If at any time myself or any of my squadmates are attacked, take cover and shoot at the hostile.

Last edited by TotallyNotHuman on Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"As much as I'd like to point out that you left them alive and they're probably setting traps or calling reinforcements, you did clear the way for the continuation and completion of the mission. I suppose that's worth celebration when we get back to the Nemisis. I'll see if I can't find you some booze when we return."

Immediately snap out of my brief moment of pride, now worried and outraged: "They'd better not be touchin' MY goddamn ship!"

Start going towards the ships with everyone else, equipping my baton on the way thereif at any point we encounter hostiles
-Get in cover and stay there until the coast is clearif all hostiles outside are eliminated
-if there seems to have been tempering with my ship
--Try to figure out what sort of squid-sorcery was used and disable it in case it is a trap (and take the harness out if I have successfully disabled the trap)
-Otherwise, go to my ship and take the harness out
-Return through the gravplant once the rest of my squad continues to do so as wellif at any point in the turn something hostile comes into melee range with me
-Hit it with the baton (max times limited by skill)

Leave my harness with Vynkor.
Get to the right airshield in a panicked rush. (Non-Teammates may be bowled over if they appear right in front of me)
Yell, trying to get whoever is outside to stop "What the hell are you maniacs doing?!? Stop that **** right now!!" ((charisma pls))
If there's something big and deadly outside.
-"Oh ****!"
-retreat, yelling optional
If other hostiles are around and still shooting/attacking
-get into cover with haste
-load a sharp bolt and shoot at one hostile
-reload and shoot at another hostile

Stupid meatbag. Gets knocked out at every opportunity. I bet he just wants to take a nap and makes me waste those shock meds.

((get almost squished by saoirse landing. Curse at her parking skills))

check Caleb for obvious injuries/suit breachesif theres anything to note patch it up using both kits' contents (liberal application of wound alcohol, gauze and duct tape)
utilise the supportive limbage of saoirsetake caleb's antishock meds and administer them to him

clean saoirse's wound and patch it up as well

go inside to the otherstry not to get shotyell at friendlies who are being stupid for being stupid

Last edited by Cornflakes_91 on Sat Jun 16, 2018 2:00 am, edited 2 times in total.

"Thanks, Gene. I feel a million times better."I advance around the corner, not forgetting my duct tape.
I fire at most thrice at any hostiles which appear.

"You advance around the corner - or try to, but soon find that your leg has gotten stuck, tangled up in a fallen bush that the gravity gun ripped out of the ground. "The hell?" you say. "Guys, wait up!" But they're already ahead of you. You hurry to disentangle yourself from the bush and then, after grabbing your duct tape, rush after the others.

The central room of the grav plant is like a wide-open courtyard. There are a few little ponds and bushes here and there at the edges, and plenty of computer equipment, but the center is mostly vacant save for the top of a spiral staircase that curves down and around, and out of sight below.

"Vynka!" Brom calls out. "Get over here, you're late!"

"Buck's fault, Broom," you say, annoyed. "Got tangled up in his mess."

Frank, holding both yours and his pieces of the stellaplex harness, looks a bit anxious. "Guys, should we really be fighting right now?"

And everyone says in unison: "Shut up, Frank!" Frank obliges and shuts up, and Brom begins another one of his speeches. "And now, gentlemen - and Vynka - we can begin our descent into the icy reaches of the squid-fortress to retrieve the Stellaplex! As you can see from the blood smears, they've already fled in fear, knowing that they stood no chance against me."

"Us," Buck corrects him.

Brom pays no attention. He's too busy cupping his hands and shouting into the abyss that the assassin of Ernhelm was coming, and they'd better either lay down their weapons or say their last prayers to their gods.

"So... We going or not?" Gene asks, catching your eye as he glances past. He gives you a smile. You try to smile back, but smiling feels a bit alien to you. You think it ends up looking like a grimace. Gene doesn't seem particularly impressed, and looks away.

Gene, Brom, Buck, and Frank all start down the spiral staircase, leaving you in the little courtyard.

You hear a growl from deeper in the complex.

Suddenly, a shout rings up from below: Brom's voice. He sounds positively terrified. "EVERYONE OPEN FIRE!" he roars in a rage, almost incoherently, "Don't give them a moment to think! I want them all dead! DEAD!" Gunshots ring out below. You don't move. You legs feel like lead.

"Why didn't you say so sooner, Frank?!
Everyone back to the ships! We'll squash every enemy in the vicinity and then go back to completing our mission!
I want everyone to grab a harness as we move through. Don't lose it.
After we obliterate whatever moron is messing with out ships, I will lead the final charge into the plant.
Keep an eye out for everything -be it hostile or otherwise- that may be of some interest to us.
Gene, I recommend you grab Vynka's Lasgun. I'll switch out your pistol for my own. The shot capacity is about to come in handy."
Drag Vynka into cover (or don't, if she's already safe), and switch pistols with her.
With my shield and semi-auto pistol up, I will run to the right airshield while visibly scanning the area along the way to see if anything's amiss.
Once I reach the airshield, I will keep myself shielded an peek out to determine if our ships are indeed in danger.

((To be used only if there are hostiles))
If there are hostiles surrounding our ships, I will alert my squad.
"Everyone open fire! Don't give them a moment to think! I want them all dead!"a
After shouting, I will target the most visible threat and shoot them no more than twice.
If there are any remaining, I will target the next most visible and fire once.
After firing my 2-3 shots, I'll reload, grab Vynka's harness and a some (1-3) of the nearby drakedog teeth.
Double back to the rear of the facility. while visibly and audibly scanning the area for possible threats and articles of interest.
If I'm attacked, I will get into cover and fire once at whatever it is that threatens me.

((To be used if there aren't any enemies at our ships))
If there aren't any enemies, I will call out to my squadmates.
"The coast is clear! Everyone grab their harnesses and let's go!"
Grab Vykna's harness and a few (1-3) of the closest drakedog teeth.
After this, I will double back to the rear of the facility. while visibly and audibly scanning the area for possible threats and articles of interest.
If I'm attacked, I will get into cover and fire once at whatever it is that threatens me.

Gene, I recommend you grab Vynka's Lasgun. I'll switch out your pistol for my own. The shot capacity is about to come in handy."

"Will do, Brom. Let's hope I don't fry myself with that fancy lasgun of hers."
Walk over to Vynkor and ask for her lasgun. Once she hands it over, make sure it is ready for firing.
If Brom alerts the squad about hostiles, engage hostile of highest visibility that has not yet been engaged by a squadmate.
If there are none, advance tightly behind him.
If at any time myself or any of my squadmates are attacked, take cover and shoot at the hostile.

"As much as I'd like to point out that you left them alive and they're probably setting traps or calling reinforcements, you did clear the way for the continuation and completion of the mission. I suppose that's worth celebration when we get back to the Nemisis. I'll see if I can't find you some booze when we return."

Immediately snap out of my brief moment of pride, now worried and outraged: "They'd better not be touchin' MY goddamn ship!"

Start going towards the ships with everyone else, equipping my baton on the way thereif at any point we encounter hostiles
-Get in cover and stay there until the coast is clearif all hostiles outside are eliminated
-if there seems to have been tempering with my ship
--Try to figure out what sort of squid-sorcery was used and disable it in case it is a trap (and take the harness out if I have successfully disabled the trap)
-Otherwise, go to my ship and take the harness out
-Return through the gravplant once the rest of my squad continues to do so as wellif at any point in the turn something hostile comes into melee range with me
-Hit it with the baton (max times limited by skill)

Leave my harness with Vynkor.
Get to the right airshield in a panicked rush. (Non-Teammates may be bowled over if they appear right in front of me)
Yell, trying to get whoever is outside to stop "What the hell are you maniacs doing?!? Stop that **** right now!!" ((charisma pls))
If there's something big and deadly outside.
-"Oh ****!"
-retreat, yelling optional
If other hostiles are around and still shooting/attacking
-get into cover with haste
-load a sharp bolt and shoot at one hostile
-reload and shoot at another hostile

Alpha squabbles as usual, with or without Vynkor. In fact, one might think it was only more fuel for the fire... and they might even be right. Frank at least tries to put on a brave face. "Brom, I managed to tag one of them with a tranquilizer dart!" he says proudly, all but puffing out his chest. He's about to go into how he can carry Vynkor (he probably can't; his arms are a bit... skinny), when Brom interrupts. His voice is dripping with sarcasm:

"Oh, excellent work, Frank. Bravo. Very well done I was worried they'd give us a hard time after we splattered them with the gravgun, but now that you've knocked one of them out, I like our chances!"

Buck, not quite catching the sarcasm, gets up from his position behind the bushes and stares at his "squad leader" incredulously. "What the... What? Really? What about my amazing victory!? Didn't y'all see what I did?" He gestures vigorously with a hand behind him. "That was me! I done that! Frank just got a lucky shot, but I'm the one that scared the crap outta 'em and got 'em to run away!"

Frank, walking behind Buck, pushes his hand out of the way as he passes, and says with a quiet sigh, "He was being sarcastic, Buck. You've been infinitely more useful than me today. I am trying to be useful here, but sorry for not being a good shot, or military, or something else!" He's a bit stressed about his abysmal luck, and rightly so. "Anyway... did you guys hear something just now?"

Everyone freezes. Three sets of eyes rest on Frank: Brom, switching weapons with Vynkor, Gene, awaiting his turn, and Buck, gravity gun slung over his shoulder. They shake their heads in the negative, but dread is in their eyes.

Taken aback by suddenly becoming the focus of attention, Frank stammers. "Well... it... I... It came from, from behind us, but... I couldn't really identify..." He pauses for a moment to collect himself. "It sounded like it was coming from the ships..."

The three sets of eyes widened at the revelation, and Brom was the first to exclaim in horror, "Why didn't you say so sooner?? Everyone, back to the ships!" With that, the group rushed to the airshield in a wild, disorganized stampede. Brom took up the lead - which was unfortunate, seeing as he had his heavy riot shield in front of him, catching on anything and everything that happened to stick into the path - and consequently slowing Buck down behind him as well, who's shouting, "THEY'D BETTER NOT BE TOUCHIN' MY GODDAMN SHIP!"

Gene wasn't paying attention to any of this at all, and was in fact enraptured by Vynkor's silent form. "Say, Vynk," he says, "Could you lend me your lasgun? It's about to come in handy, and I kind of need it..."

Vynkor slumbers peacefully - or as peacefully as one can for a bloody, unconscious woman with her arm half falling off. Honestly, she's practically Snow White ...in a zombie flick horror film.

Gene takes this as an affirmative and picks up the gun, thanking her kindly, just as Frank barrels into him from behind. "Oof!" he grunts, bouncing off of Gene and falling to the ground. Gene turns around and looks at him in surprise, and seems to be on the verge of saying something, but then turns and takes off at a brisk pace to try to catch up with Brom, as Frank picks himself up off the ground... feeling left behind and underappreciated as usual.

~~~

The group reaches the right entrance, stomping through the gore provided by the illustrious drakedogs, and finds, to their horror, that there are not only hiltorel enemies outside - there's six of them - and they look like they're trying to examine the CASKETs. Frank, his head out the doorway, shouts at them, "What the hell are you maniacs doing?!? Stop that shit right now!!"

This shout only serves to draw their ire - and immediately, plasma bolts fill the air, aimed directly at Frank's face. Barely in time, Buck grabs Frank by the backpack and yanks him back into cover, while Brom begins shouting orders. "EVERYONE OPEN FIRE!" he roars in a rage, almost incoherently, "Don't give them a moment to think! I want them all dead! DEAD!"

The little crew of four certainly at least tries to outdo the hailstorm the six combatants are bringing down on them: Gene with a lasgun, Brom with his trusty pistol, and Frank with his crossbow. Buck, meanwhile, stands still, feeling useless... but then again, as his allies' shots miss one after the next, they're perhaps not feeling so useful themselves. The squids are using the CASKETs to their full advantage as cover, and there's barely anything in the way of cover for the little REKT squad to hide behind. They're very much pinned down - but the squids seem to count them as a major threat. (Perhaps as they rightfully should.)

And it gets worse, too. At some remote command, a metal barrier extends upwards in the airshield doorway with a loud hum, blocking access between the two parties. Brom ends up shooting another final shot, which punches a hole clean through the barrier. This confirms two things: first, that it's not particularly thick, and second, that it hasn't replaced the airshield. It's merely a barrier... albeit one too thick to bust through by hand.

Brom, the only member of Alpha to stay in motion after this setback, picks up Vynkor's discarded harness from next to the doorway, along with a few of the scattered drakedog teeth as loot. With that done, he retreats back into the building.

Bravely leaving your squadmates to fend helplessly for themselves, you boldly retreat away from the scene of battle as deeply as you can within the safety of the enemy's fortress like a true courageous hero.

After crossing the point where you'd previously fought off a number of hiltorel (completely single-handedly, you might add, only with the minor assistance of a few of your assassins-in-training), you're suddenly set upon by a monster. A fusillade of bullets rattle against your riot shield.

What ho! A foe?! Why, yes! It's another one of those little turrets. You duck back into cover and fire a single shot through the turret's centerpiece. It stills and falls silent, like a good little turret.

You decide, perhaps venturing boldly into the enemy fortress by yourself might not be the best plan imaginable ((that, or you've run out of actions)) and decide to just stay put. Your chest is hurting really badly now.

Free the squid by lifting the piece of wall and pulling the squid from under it.
Ask the squid where I can find the box.
Go get the box and put it outside the nacelle and tell saoirse that it is there
Run back to my casket and power it up

When I'm attacked:
- find cover
- defend myself with my crowbar if the attacker is in melee range, otherwise use my minigun on the attacker (never exceed the attack limit)

"Caleb left some painkillers on the floor inside the nacelle, Warrior."

"Gearhead, Esteemed Engineer, I am glad you are fine. Please see to our injured. I myself might need some patching-up after we are done here. The Lord deemed necessary to give me a new hole on my face, but I think he did a botched job of it. Also, be advised that we've accepted the surrender of the Hiltorei here."

((Such humour is actually within the FSM teachings - FSM is a god that's probably perpetually drunk, and sometimes fails, and is not afraid to admit it Man, I've learned so much about the FSM I should start a fickin' congregation ))

To Hiltorei: "You are free to go, or you can stay and help us free your comrade. Our medicine does not work on Hiltorei, and he may be badly injured. Be ready to help him. After that, I advise you to take your spacecraft and go. This place is about to be recovered by our ship."

"Bob-boss, a piece of bad wall fell on the friend-squid in the other room. I make the piece of bad wall light, and you take it away and punish it good. What do ye say to that?"

I am bleeding badly....but I should give confort to those who need it more first...for I am merely a vessel through which the Lord reaches out.

Release the squid.
Go deeper into the nacelle,
Locate the injured squid
AND use my Gravity Amp to make a comfortable low-gravity zone around him.
Wait for the metal piece to be removed.
IF nobody removes the metal piece,
do it myself.
Ask the injured squid where the red box is.
Look around for interesting stuff.
Ask the injured squid (and all the other squids) what is going on here and what are all the boxes with the danger sign on them.
Use Charismatic Amp if necessary.

IF attacked again,
Get into cover.

Ishmael turns to the squid. "You are free to go, or you can stay and help us free our comrade. Our medicine does not work on Hiltorei, and he may be badly injured. Be ready to help him. After that, I advise you to take your spacecraft and go. This place is about to be recovered by our ship." Then, he turns to Bob. "Bob-boss," he begins, addressing Bob politely with his proper name and rank, "A piece of Bad Wall fell on the friend-squid in the other room. I'll make the piece of Bad Wall light, and you take it away and punish it good. What do ye say to that?"

"Okay, Mr. Ishmael," Bob says in agreement, and walks deeper into the nacelle.

Ishmael is bleeding quite badly, and pauses for a moment to try to gauge the extent of his injury and blood loss. He's losing a lot of blood, and his face is still in bad shape. Talking ought to be impossible - and probably would be, if it wasn't for the numbing effect of the painkillers. He spits a bit of blood out of his helmet and follows after Bob.

Meanwhile, Bob, Jimmy, and one of the other squids are on their way towards the squid's fallen friend. Bob wants to talk to the guy, but he only speaks... well, squid-speak. The squid talks a little to Bob while they walk, venting perhaps, but doesn't seem to expect Bob to understand. He does expect Bob to understand his frantic pointing and gesturing, though - although none of that is really needed. Bob can see the hapless squid by the light of the makeshift wall-lights, and he's in bad shape. One of the danger-crates fell through the floor above and crushed him. The only reason he's not dead is because part of the crate is propped up on some boxes over behind the squid's head - but two of his tentacles look mangled beyond any hope of use, and there's blue hiltorel blood everywhere. He's groaning and making noises that sound, frankly, like terrified gibberish. He's probably in shock.

"Bob help!" Bob steps towards the squid cautiously. "It's be okay," he says reassuringly. "Bob Friend. Bob help with danger-box. Okay? No scared of Bob." With that, he puts his feet carefully around the tentacles splayed on the floor, braces himself, and lifts with all his might (it's a bit clumsy, seeing as he only has one functional hand; he tries to compensate with his lower arm). Bob growls, grinding his teeth with the effort - but the box only barely budges. It's just too much.

Fortunately, Ishmael arrives just then and immediately sees the problem. He creates a low-gravity field over the topmost portion of the box and suggests, "Try it now, Bob." Bob braces himself again and heaves with all his strength - and the box comes up from the floor, an inch at a time - every inch a battle in itself, but it gets easier as more of the box enters the field. One of the squids pulls his hurt friend out from under, and they embrace, talking to each other unintelligibly with emotion.

Bob drops the box back to the floor (the deck shakes and rattles from the impact) and steps back. "Where I find the box?" he asks - interrupting Ishmael, who was about to ask the same question.. But there's no answer. They're distracted and probably don't speak Galactic anyway.

Just then, the last squid - the one that started the whole gunfight mess - walks in with the red-marked crate, followed behind by the squid with the broken arm. "Here," he says, in a shaky voice with a strong accent, "We got the box for you. Thank you for... helping our friend." He hands the box to Ishmael and then, prodded by the other squid: "I am... sorry for attack you."

All's well that ends well, perhaps?

Bob leaves, and Ishmael stays behind.

Ishmael
Bob takes the box from you, and leaves. You stay behind to look around, poking in the corners... and by chance, happen to find a bag that some of the scavengers left behind. The fact that you found it is pure luck - it was hidden away in a dark corner, out of the range of most of the (already dim) pod lights. It's shaped rather like a duffel bag... and, if you're able to trust your intuition, it looks like it's full of explosives, possibly more pod-lights, and some other assorted scavenging gear.

During this, the other squids are trying to patch up their injured comrade with special squid-fixit-gel and help him back to his ... tentacles. You walk over to them - the nearest happening to be the one you threatened most recently (he flinches away from you, startled) and ask, "So... What is going on here, and what are all the boxes with the danger sign on them?"

He stammers for a moment, but then says, "They are bombs. Your people planned to bomb Huhoba Qitsit. That is all I know."

You nod, musing on the information.

It isn't much longer before Gearhead stomps into the room with a shit-eating grin.

Bob
You take the box from Ishmael, and then carry it outside. "Saoirse-boss!" you call out. "Bob got box here!" After she nods and waves at you to show she heard (she's currently about to let Gearhead fix her up), you head down towards your CASKET. If you remember right, Gearhead was trying to fix it up.

~~~

You ship is... well, really, even uglier than you left it. Not only is in in pieces, now it's also covered with silver-black duct tape. You feel somewhat unhappy that Gearhead didn't make it pretty again, but nevertheless climb into the seat and hit the power switch.

I stare blankly at the table for a moment. It all seems so normal...like everything used to be. Like it never will be again. I feel a pang in my chest as I cautiously step forward and take my seat, not touching the food. Even with him sitting across from me, I find myself unable to meet my father's eyes.
What do I tell them? How can I tell them? I stare glumly at my plate, struggling to talk past the lump in my throat as I attempt to say the words that will bring my family's perfect world crashing down around them.

"I did, Mom. But not anymore. I don't think i could go back if I tried...everyone's dead. I failed."

As I speak, I never look up, not wanting my parents to see my face, to see how close I am to breaking down at the loss of my friends, of my dream. I find myself dreading their responses, Mom's concern for me, Dad's...FSM, how will he even respond? I know he saw combat, but nothing like what happened to me...at least not that he ever told me.

You feel a pang in your chest. Mom, Dad... you haven't seen them in a long time. They haven't aged a day. A lump swells in your throat, but you grit your teeth and force it away... though the hollow in your chest doesn't leave. Cautiously, you step forwards and sit down across the table from your father. He's reading the news on his holopad, glasses and all, like you always saw him doing growing up.

Your mother slides your plate in front of you - a hearty breakfast of eggs and pan-sizzled meat, done up just like she knows you love. How many times have you had this? It must've been hundreds of times. What if you never get to taste it just the way she does it ever again? You stare glumly at the plate, trying to figure out how to bring yourself to talk. They're shipping you off to Tartarus soon. You don't know when you'll be able to see them again... or if you ever will. They say Tartarus kills most of their inmates. You ought to say something - but you aren't sure what.

Your mother sits down at the little round kitchen table on your left and puts her hand on your arm. She looks up at you with a smile. "I'm proud of you, you know," she says. "My little boy, serving in the military like his father. You've grown so much, you know..."

You almost choke, and pull your hand gently away from hers. A frown twitches at the corner of your lips, but your mother doesn't see it. "I did, Mom. But not anymore. I don't think I could go back if I tried... everyone's dead. I failed." Pained, you turn away from them. You know your dad saw combat, at least, but nothing like what happened to you. At least, not that he ever told you.

You hear a noise; a holopad clacking down on the table across from you. "I'm disappointed in you, son," he says decidedly. "Very disappointed." Your mother turns to him and rebukes him softly, but he continues, "Do you know why?"

You don't want to meet his eyes. He always did this to you. Sometimes he had a good reason for it... and often, it pushed you to try harder. Right now it doesn't feel very helpful.

((Discontinuity is because it's a dream. Things can shift, you know. Caleb probably doesn't notice though - unless you want him to have a lucid dream. And then things will really get messy. Outlander tried to go lucid in Mission 1 and I didn't punish him quite like I think I should have.

In dreams, I do rolls for every little action you take, even down to walking across the floor or keeping from crying. There's always at least a 33% chance everything will turn out well. For you I think it's closer to 67%.

Caleb doesn't know it, but Gearhead just stabbed him with an anti-shock syringe, so he'll wake up next turn. Better finish your business quickly.))

and open the cockpit, but don't get out yet.
I take the other Hiltorel belt out of my backpack, put it on and turn on the gravity part, hoping that walking in 0.5g will make my leg hurt less to stand on.
Then I carefully get out of my casket, and hobble towards Gearhead and Caleb.
If Gearhead needs any help patching up Caleb that I can provide, I help him, then I ask
"Hey Gearhead, could you have a look at my leg as well?"
If he does, wait while he works, and thank him afterward.
Then I go check out what's going on inside the nacelle.

If attacked at any point, I get in the nearest cover and stasis enemies (up to 4 attacks, stop when 2 in stasis)

You land your CASKET back near the nacelle, carefully, and open the canopy. Before you get out, you take the second hiltorel belt out of your backpack, put it on, and turn on the gravitic portion. Hopefully walking in only half a G will make your leg less painful. During your slow climb out of your ship, you think it's actually working - and indeed, it does seem to be on the way back to the entrance. A clever solution, that. Moving your leg still hurts, but you're able to mostly stiff-leg limp it to Gearhead.

When you reach Gearhead, you notice that he's just finishing up patching Caleb - with a shocking amount of bandages and duct tape. And medical tape. And gauze. His legs are splinted up and practically mummified.

Just then, Bob shouts to you from the nacelle entrance. He's holding the red-marked crate Caleb mentioned earlier. "Saoirse-boss!" he calls out. "Bob got box here! You wave to him to show you heard him, and he sets it down. Then he starts heading towards his ship.

Stupid meatbag. Gets knocked out at every opportunity. I bet he just wants to take a nap and makes me waste those shock meds.

((get almost squished by saoirse landing. Curse at her parking skills))

check Caleb for obvious injuries/suit breachesif theres anything to note patch it up using both kits' contents (liberal application of wound alcohol, gauze and duct tape)
utilise the supportive limbage of saoirsetake caleb's antishock meds and administer them to him

clean saoirse's wound and patch it up as well

go inside to the otherstry not to get shotyell at friendlies who are being stupid for being stupid

"accidentally" let a hand or two slip when treating saoirse. Dont acknowledge any complaintsso much squish there. That could be improved

You retrieve your kits and then get over to Caleb.

He's on the ground, partially bent backwards over a small group of crates. It only takes a brief glance to tell he's in deep shit, and knocked out cold. His right leg is not only broken, but twisted around at an odd angle. Both legs are riddled with shrapnel and are missing a good deal of flesh - especially the right leg. He's bleeding profusely... and there, at his belt, are a group of coagulant boosters he never even used.

"Stupid meatbag," you grunt in a mixture of annoyance and disgust, readying your kits. "Gets knocked out at every opportunity. I bet he just wants to take a nap and make me waste these shock meds."

You check Caleb over quickly and determine that he probably is beyond your ability to "fix". Not exactly an unusual condition for a meatbag, as such, but you'll help him how you can. You patch up the suit breaches and end up completely using up your tape - of both varieties. On the plus side, you manage to splint up his leg in what is truly a masterful achievement. He'll live, at least. He won't walk, not for a while but he'll live. And he didn't even have to lose a leg.

He might have to on the ship though.

You stab him in the port with his anti-shock meds (which he also never used) and decide to let him use the coagulant boosters on himself after he wakes up.

You turn around, and see that Saoirse has just arrived.

Saoirse and Gearhead
"Hey Gearhead, could you have a look at my leg as well?" Saoirse says, sitting down next to him.

Gearhead grunts, but says nothing, and turns toward Saoirse's leg. "Hmm," he mutters, feeling gently of her leg. "There's fragments still in there, probably. Are there any anywhere else?" He begins feeling upwards across Saoirse's body.

Saoirse is somewhat uncomfortable about this. "No, just the leg," she says. Then, suddenly, she yelps and pushes him back with a gravity field. Gearhead stumbles back, but catches himself easily and steadies himself with a grunt, as the girl shouts, "What the hell is wrong with you, you asshole?!" A dust cloud - also courtesy of Saoirse - hits him in the face. Or... rather, the helmet. (Direct hit! No effect.)

Completely unfazed, Gearhead merely chuckles. "Lots of squish there," he says, with a shit-eating grin. "That could be improved. Anyway..." He wipes some of the dust off his helmet. "There wasn't really much I can do. I just used up all my bandages. I'm going to head inside. Feel free to follow along."

Gearhead leaves Saoirse sitting in the sand next to Caleb's lifeless body, as Saoirse rails after him, "I thought we might become friends, but you're just as bad as the people back on Poesis! Get out of my sight!" But there's no answer, and Saoirse blinks back angry tears, fuming and muttering angrily in Irish at Gearhead's back as he walks up the ramp and into the nacelle.

Last edited by Talvieno on Thu Jun 21, 2018 4:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

((Discontinuity is because it's a dream. Things can shift, you know. Caleb probably doesn't notice though - unless you want him to have a lucid dream. And then things will really get messy. Outlander tried to go lucid in Mission 1 and I didn't punish him quite like I think I should have.

(( outlander used to have lucid dreams every night IRL. Outlander was extremely biased in his expectations ))

"Gearhead, esteemed engineer. Is Caleb all right? Also, would you have a look at my wound? The bleeding just won't stop."

"Everyone, our new best friends here say that those boxes - the ones with radiation sign on them - were to be used for bombing their settlement. I don't know what is going on, or how they got this information, but obviously, there's something fishy going on. Something we were not at all informed about. Something...unpalatable. We should keep that in mind.

But for now, I suggest we inform Nemesis about the mission's completion, and get ready to go."

[redacted Irish muttering]
the kind of sigh you do to calm yourself downI look over at Caleb
"Well, at least you're nice to me...don't die, ok?
Also, given the uselessness of our medic, I'd like to borrow these - I'll give them back later. Promise."I take Caleb's coagulant boosters.
"One, two, three, four...five? And the sixth Bob got for his hand, so...Gearhead didn't give you one? Jeez..."I administer both myself and Caleb a coag
Then I take Caleb's painkillers.
"He probably didn't give you this either then. [more redacted irish muttering]I administer both myself and Caleb painkillers as well.

"Gearhead, esteemed engineer. Is Caleb all right? Also, would you have a look at my wound? The bleeding just won't stop."

"Everyone, our new best friends here say that those boxes - the ones with radiation sign on them - were to be used for bombing their settlement. I don't know what is going on, or how they got this information, but obviously, there's something fishy going on. Something we were not at all informed about. Something...unpalatable. We should keep that in mind.
But for now, I suggest we inform Nemesis about the mission's completion, and get ready to go."

"Ah, hold on, I'll bring you one of Caleb's coagulant boosters.
But...bombing Huhoba? Wasn't Nemesis here fighting that OWL thing, whatever that may be?
Can you ask them why they think we were here to bomb the colony?
Also, how are we gonna get Caleb back? I don't think he can fly, if his ship even still flies."

I hobble into the nacelle, towards the rest. I pointedly ignore Gearhead. I pick up the painkillers Caleb left behind there on the floor, and go give Ishmael a coagulant booster if he wants one.
Then I hobble back to my ship, get it, lift up and go land near where blinksquid's corpse is.
I wait for Bob to help me get his body in my cargo pod.
After he did, I thank him, get back in my ship, land it back near the nacelle.
Then I get out again, and try to figure out which of the ships outside belongs to the mercenaries and not to our new friends (either by asking them or by looking at them).
Then I go look at one of the mercenary ships and try to figure out if I could fly it.

Last edited by Dinosawer on Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:05 pm, edited 7 times in total.